Means to hold dentures in place

ABSTRACT

In a denture at least two of the molars are formed by an outer casing holding a reciprocable tooth which is normally pushed outward by a spring adjusted according to the suction required to hold the denture on the tissue of the mouth; the chamber in the outer casing is connected by passages to suction pockets in the tissue side of the denture; each pocket is covered with screens to prevent the sucking of the tissue into the pockets; as the mouth is closed and the teeth are pressed into the respective casings, water is expelled from the pockets and the resulting vacuum sucks the tissue against the screens of the pockets and holds the denture in position; another form of the invention has the plunger in a chamber formed inside of the tooth and extending inwardly of the denture in an elongated pocket and an elongated tray extends from the bottom of the plunger slightly beyond the level of the tissue side of the denture so that the plunger is reciprocated in the chamber and when the tray engages the tissue in the mouth it expels the liquid and produces suction.

United States Patent [1 1 Kopfer et a1.

[ 51 Mar. 27, 1973 MEANS TO HOLD DENTURES IN PLACE [75] Inventors: Rudolph J. Kopfer; John A. Gaylord,

both of Greenbrae, Calif.

[73] Assignee: said Kopfer, by said Gaylord [22] Filed: Dec. 16, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 208,656

[52] US. Cl ..32/3

[51] Int. Cl ..A61c 13/00 [58] Field of Search ..32/3, 4

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,752,680 7/1956 Winnberg ..32/3

3,555,683 1/1971 Gregorovic-et a1... ...32/3 2,510,184 6/1950 Lynn ..32/3

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,090,820 10/1960 Germany ..32/3

Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Att0rney-George B. White [57] ABSTRACT In a denture at least two of the molars are formed by an outer casing holding a reciprocable tooth which is normally pushed outward by a spring adjusted according to the suction required to hold the denture on the tissue of the mouth; the chamber in the outer casing is connected by passages to suction pockets in the tissue side of the denture; each pocket is covered with screens to prevent the sucking of the tissue into the pockets; as the mouth is closed and the teeth are pressed into the respective casings, water is expelled from the pockets and the resulting vacuum sucks the tissue against the screens of the pockets and holds the denture in position, another form of the invention has the plunger in a chamber formed inside of the tooth and extending inwardly of the denture in an elongated pocket and an elongated tray extends from the bottom of the plunger slightly beyond the level of the tissue side of the denture so that the plunger is reciprocated in the chamber and when the tray engages the tissue in the mouth it expels the liquid and produces suction.

5 Claims, 10 Drawing figures PATENTEUHARZYIQYS FIG. 7.

FIG. 6.

FIG. 2.

2 FIG. 9.

F16 [Q M/I/E/VTOPS p2. EUDOL PH J. KOPFER JOHN A. 64 m 0RD A TTOENEY MEANS TO HOLD DENTURES IN PLACE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At the present time there is no practical way of keeping dentures, particularly lower dentures, firmly in place. One of the main reasons for this problem is the substantial absence of atrophic ridge or ridges to hold the dentures in place, hence the denture is allowed to slide around which creates difficulty in chewing and generally results in soreness of the mouth. Another reason, particularly in lower dentures, is that there is very little area that contacts tissue that is bone supported and stable, therefore no retention and stability is available.

The primary object of this invention is to solve the problem by creating vacuum or suction on the tissue side of a denture so as to suck the tissue firmly against the denture to keep the denture tightly in place, and to create said suction by converting some of the teeth in the denture into a structure that is capable of functioning substantially as a vacuum pump, thereby eliminating palate coverage. Such denture can be used also in treatment of gagger, cleft cases, cancer 'exoneration patients, or any facial appliance prostheses.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES FIG. 1 is a top view of denture showing two molars adapted to act as hydraulic vacuum pumps.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the denture.

FIG. 3 is an inside or bottom view of the denture showing the tissue side with the screen covered pockets.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of one of the pumping teeth in extended attitude.

FIG. 5 is a detail view of the pumping tooth in depressed position.

FIG. 6 is a partly sectional detail view of the pumping tooth in extended position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the pumping tooth in depressed position.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of one of the pockets on the tissue side of the denture.

FIG. 9 is a partly sectional view of a denture with a modified form of the hydraulic system therein.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines l0 10 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The denture is formed of a plastic base 1 which corresponds to the gum, in which are cast porcelain or plastic teeth 2. In this form two of the molars 3 are formed of a pumping structure, particularly as shown in FIG. 6. Other suitable materials, such as silicone, metal, or rigid or non-rigid material may be used.

Each of the pumping molars 3 includes an outer casing 4 which forms a chamber 5 therein in which reciprocates a piston tooth 6 normally pressed by a coil spring 7 upwardly or outwardly of the casing 4. For this purpose the piston tooth 6 is hollow and the coil spring 7 bears at one end against the bottom of the chamber 5 and at its other end against the top wall of the hollow piston tooth 6. The piston tooth has an enlarged flange 8 at its inner end in sliding contact with the inner periphery of the casing 4. A suitable sealing ring 9 secured in said flange seals the chamber 5 to prevent escape of liquid or air past the piston tooth 6. An abutment ring 11 secured in the casing 4, adjacent its outer end, limits the outward movement of the piston tooth 6.

In the tissue face 12 of the base 1 are formed a plurality of pockets 13 which are connected by passages or tubes 14 to the adjacent chamber 5 as shown in FIG. 3. Each pocket 13 is covered by a very fine mesh screen 16 to prevent the tissue from filling the pockets 13.

The device is very fine and it is within the usual dimensions of the teeth, for instance, the pumping piston teeth 6 are about one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch in diameter and vary in length according to the size of tooth required for the particular mouth to bite. The pockets are about twenty-thousandths of an inch deep with smooth round edges. The piston tooth 6 normally projects beyond the other teeth so that when the mouth is closed and the opposite teeth engage the piston teeth 6 then the latter are pressed into the chamber 5.

In operation the denture is first placed under water and the two piston teeth 6 are worked until all of the air is expelled and replaced by water. Then the denture is properly placed on the upper or lower ridge of the mouth and as the upper and lower teeth are brought together, the piston teeth 6 are forced into the chambers 5 expelling some of the water. By reason of the spring loading of the piston teeth 6, a force is exerted on the teeth outwardly which will create a vacuum or suction in the pockets 13 and thus firmly seats the tissue against the pockets, the tissue acting somewhat as a check valve. The amount of suction required to hold the denture in place is controlled by the tension of the springs 7.

In the modified form shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 the tooth 21 has a cavity or chamber 22 extending from the tissue side of the denture and the plunger 23 reciprocates in said chamber 22, but it does not project beyond the top of the tooth 21. The plunger 23 has an O-ring 24 for the pumping action. From the lower end of the plunger extends an outwardly flaring tray 26 which fits into a corresponding elongated pocket 27 in the tissue side of the denture. The bottom edges 28 of the tray 26 project slightly beyond the tissue side of the denture for engagement with the palate or the tissue of the mouth so as to press the plunger 23 inwardly of the chamber 22 thereby to create the suction for holding the denture in place as heretofore described. A perforated wall or screen 29 along the top of the tray 26 covers the interior of the hollow plunger 23, and a spring 31 bearing against the top end of the chamber 22 and against the perforated wall 29 normally urges the plunger 23 and the tray 26 towards the tissue.

It is understood that dentures are made to fit the patients mouth and the pockets are located according to the configuration of the mouth in which the denture fits. Viscous fluid is highly effective in the system and fluid of suitable consistency, color, taste and bacteriostatic action may be utilized in this hydraulic system. The hydraulic system herein described may be installed in a variety of ways for adapting the same to oral and maxilla facial abnormalities as heretofore described.

We claim:

1. Means to create suction by liquid for holding a denture in place, said denture including a base having an exposed surface and teeth secured to the base and projecting from said exposed surface, and said base having a tissue side for engaging the tissue of the gum in the mouth,

said means comprising a fluid chamber in said base,

liquid pumping means in said fluid chamber,

means to seal said liquid pumping means and said fluid chamber to the atmosphere at said exposed surface,

said base having on said tissue side at least one suction pocket,

said pumping means being adapted to suck liquid into said pocket and said chamber and to expel part of said liquid at will,

covered means within said base communicating said pumping means with said pocket for said sucking and expelling,

resiliently yieldable means normally to urge said pumping means into an initial sucking position thereby to produce a predetermined suction force after said expelling of part of said liquid for holding said denture on said gum.

2. The means specified in claim 1, and

said pumping means including,

at least one hollow tooth casing formed in the base of the denture,

a pumping tooth portion reciprocable in said tooth casing for creating pressure and suction in said fluid chamber respectively,

means to limit the movements of said pumping tooth portion downwardly from the casing,

and said resiliently yieldable means normally urging said pumping tooth portion outwardly of said casing at a predetermined tension so that in said initial position said pumping tooth projects beyond said tooth casing for engagement by opposite teeth.

3. The means specified in claim 1 and said communicating means being closed passages connecting the interior of said pumping means and said fluid chamber to said pocket in the tissue side of said denture. 

1. Means to create suction by liquid for holding a denture in place, said denture including a base having an exposed surface and teeth secured to the base and projecting from said exposed surface, and said base having a tissue side for engaGing the tissue of the gum in the mouth, said means comprising a fluid chamber in said base, liquid pumping means in said fluid chamber, means to seal said liquid pumping means and said fluid chamber to the atmosphere at said exposed surface, said base having on said tissue side at least one suction pocket, said pumping means being adapted to suck liquid into said pocket and said chamber and to expel part of said liquid at will, covered means within said base communicating said pumping means with said pocket for said sucking and expelling, resiliently yieldable means normally to urge said pumping means into an initial sucking position thereby to produce a predetermined suction force after said expelling of part of said liquid for holding said denture on said gum.
 2. The means specified in claim 1, and said pumping means including, at least one hollow tooth casing formed in the base of the denture, a pumping tooth portion reciprocable in said tooth casing for creating pressure and suction in said fluid chamber respectively, means to limit the movements of said pumping tooth portion downwardly from the casing, and said resiliently yieldable means normally urging said pumping tooth portion outwardly of said casing at a predetermined tension so that in said initial position said pumping tooth projects beyond said tooth casing for engagement by opposite teeth.
 3. The means specified in claim 1 and said communicating means being closed passages connecting the interior of said pumping means and said fluid chamber to said pocket in the tissue side of said denture.
 4. The means specified in claim 3, and a perforated cover on said pocket capable of permitting flow of liquid therethrough, but preventing the sucking of tissue into the pocket.
 5. The means specified in claim 1, and said base having several pockets therein spaced from one another and being open to said tissue side, and said communicating means being covered passages within said base leading from said fluid chamber and pumping means to said pockets. 